PAT CAPUTO: Michigan seeking to gain respect, MSU to maintain it

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo walks across mid-court during practice for a second-round game at the NCAA college basketball tournament at The Palace in Auburn Hills, Wednesday, March 20, 2013. Michigan State plays Valparaiso on Thursday. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

When Michigan and Michigan State take the floor at The Palace of Auburn Hills in back-to-back NCAA tournament games Saturday, they will be playing for two different things.

For the Wolverines, it's to gain respect. For the Spartans, it's to maintain it.

This is a departure. Usually, comparisons between the programs isn't much of an issue. March is MSU's time of the year. Michigan has forced its way into the party, sharing the spotlight, literally, with the Spartans on college basketball's biggest stage.

While the Spartans have won their share of Big Ten titles down through the years, their cache has come mostly from appearing in the Final Four six times since 1999, and winning the Big Ten's last NCAA championship in 2000. Michigan hasn't been to the Final Four since the Fab Five era, which has lost much of its luster, because of the Ed Martin scandal.

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When MSU opened the NCAA tournament by thumping Valparasio Thursday, it brought a shrug of shoulders. How often do the Spartans get beaten in the opening round of the tournament? It's as if the minimal expectation for MSU is two wins. It's like the NCAA tournament doesn't begin in earnest for the Spartans until the Sweet 16.

Simply winning an NCAA tournament game, such as Thursday's rout of South Dakota State, still qualifies as an accomplishment for Michigan. It was just the third time since 1998 Michigan has won an NCAA tournament game, only their fourth since 1994, which was the last time the Wolverines moved by the Round of 32.

This is not to say if Michigan State were to lose Saturday vs. Memphis, it wouldn't be devastating. Yet, it would be for far different reasons than if Michigan is ousted by Virginia Commonwealth University.

The Spartans have won dozens of NCAA tournament games since 1994. The idea isn't to get to the top - there are few programs that have maintained the level of success of the Spartans under Tom Izzo. It's staying at the top. Michigan, even though it earned a No.1 poll ranking this regular season with a 16-0 start, hasn't gotten there yet.

It's simple: Until the Wolverines have done it in the NCAA tournament, they haven't really done it.

If they lose today to VCU, especially if MSU wins in the game afterward at The Palace, the Wolverines will definitely be carrying a stigma.

And Michigan is facing a more difficult challenge today than MSU.

VCU demolished Akron, a solid Mid-American Conference entry, by 46 points Thursday. The Atlantic 10 is a strong conference, and this is not unfamiliar territory for VCU and its coach Shaka Smart. VCU went to the Final Four in 2011. The Rams were knocked out of the tournament in the Round of 32 last year by Indiana - a two-point loss. VCU is a much more proven NCAA tournament commodity than Michigan.

Conversely, Memphis, although very athletic, plays in a weak conference, and has been renown for its NCAA tournament failures since the Derrick Rose era.

The NCAA tournament has been, and forever will be, unpredictable. But there is little question MSU possesses a confidence Michigan does not.

The Spartans have been there and done it often in the recent past. Michigan has not.